Jap spec Dorchester red on the Bay

[Bogbrush82]

Would've been better if he'd added bigger pictures. Tiny ones can hide all sorts of potential blemishes.

[marinabrian]

These look good in the flesh, as evidenced by the likes of the car Tim Burgess owns, but they can look equally sad too.

There was a one owned locally by a member who had traded from a launch spec car, to one.

It was as rotten as a pear, full of filler in critical places, yet still commanded a premium, despite having an MOT not worth the paper it was written on issued.

Unless you want one, they are subjective, just as any other car, personally I wouldn't want one, not because it looks brown, nor because of the aubergine leather, but because of the gearbox.

Someone will buy it, there is a market for every car for someone, if these had been offered as a manual car, they would have had much more appeal as a driver's car.



Brian

[eumjmorris]

well, when BMW/Rover pulled out of the Japanese market in 2000,

they returned unsold cars to the uk, reworked them in the flight shed,
to uk radio and instruments, and sold them via various dealers,
such as Quicks. Flare clip yes, manual seats, NO, and most or all in
Dorchester red with Aubergine personal line, plus narrower and
dimpled crown wheels, think 5.5 instead of 6 from memory.
various features shared with early/launch cars, others unique.
just a good looking car if your preference is for that sort of thing.

[clf]

Originally Posted by Bogbrush82

Would've been better if he'd added bigger pictures. Tiny ones can hide all sorts of potential blemishes.

I agree, especially in this lockdown, however to be fair, the seller is relatively critical of the bodywork, and does show photos (albeit small) of what will likely be the worst damage (some of which look like they would simply polish out - and a Dorchester would look good polished to an inch of its life lol). But also remember too, that the seller is not the owner.

Like a lot of models of this era (and it seems most Japanese spec from my recent reading), the doorcard fabric is working loose too, which means headlining too could be a consideration.

--------------------------------

According to production figures, Dorchester is a very rare colour. I wonder does this site count ALL cars, or just UK ones. If this is the case, (just 8) I think I have now seen all 8, whilst searching to understand what makes the Japanese spec so 'special' (still not found anything yet lol).

[Saga Lout]

It's a personal choice issue, If I wanted it I'd buy it and set about correcting any issues. If people want to be critical of it that's also a personal choice issue, the fact that a 21 year old car is being discussed or simply cussed is not going to affect it. The car needs some love and a caring owner as do many of our cars when we first get them, we see the niggles and set about sorting them out. The price is irrelevant as they are going beyond bargain basement and being seen as collectables in the right spec, this car with it's niggles sorted would quite rightly be drooled over at any meet. It matters not if a car has had one owner or twenty if it's an object of desire to be cherished. A new owner is the issue here, not the price or what might need sorting out. The seller quite clearly states it came back unsold from Japan and was sold in Britain, it makes me laugh when people are talking about spec when hardly any of our cars are as they left the factory.

[Robson Rover Repair]

Always laugh when people say "it's not right spec".

Literally this forum is filled with thousands of posts about people changing this, swapping rims, interiors all sorts.

Don't forget as much as we love our cars, the casual owner would barely know anything about them.

We had one owner here locally who was using a monogram 75 to tow stones and brickwork and hadn't a clue how special the car was, now it's getting treated like a princess!

I'd challenge anyone on this forum to say their car is "as factory".

[victorgte]

EBay seller is apparently from Droitwich. Car is to be viewed in Stratford Upon Avon.
Either way if anyone would like me to break lock down and view it, I’m not too far away. Mind you I’m at work Tuesday to Saturday this coming week.

[Woodford77]

Hello

I am interested in purchasing this vehicle and taking it back to a showroom condition, but what is worrying me is the laquer peel. Will this require a respray or will I be able to relaquer it somehow. If someone, going from the pictures is able to give me an idea of cost and what would be required, this would be greatly appreciated.

I have been on the hunt now for a nice Connie SE Dorchester aubergine or Royal blue/sandstone 2.5L with a sunroof (I understand the jap specs have one, although I can’t tell from the pictures) for quite some time now to keep and polish to within an inch of its life but they come up in either the wrong colour or no sunroof. As a previous owner I greatly regret selling mine and this time I am looking to keep one for life.

Any help much appreciated.

[Rich in Vancouver]

I own a Japanese spec MGF. My car was imported to Canada from Japan in 2012. The body of the car is immaculate without a speck of rust. It does have the usual repainted bits from it's time on the roads over there but is so clean that it still has the original paper labels on the suspension.
If the car in question is a later import from Japan rather than an unsold early re-import the body may well be in better shape than a car that has spent it's entire life in the UK, so shouldn't be counted out without an inspection.

[Saga Lout]

Originally Posted by Woodford77

Hello

I am interested in purchasing this vehicle and taking it back to a showroom condition, but what is worrying me is the laquer peel. Will this require a respray or will I be able to relaquer it somehow. If someone, going from the pictures is able to give me an idea of cost and what would be required, this would be greatly appreciated.

I have been on the hunt now for a nice Connie SE Dorchester aubergine or Royal blue/sandstone 2.5L with a sunroof (I understand the jap specs have one, although I can’t tell from the pictures) for quite some time now to keep and polish to within an inch of its life but they come up in either the wrong colour or no sunroof. As a previous owner I greatly regret selling mine and this time I am looking to keep one for life.

Any help much appreciated.

Regrets won't be an issue if you buy a car you'll love, costs aren't an issue when you love a car either. If you can gently work through the issues on a 21 year old car like this, you've cracked the secret of Rover 75 madness.